Role of Adolescents’ Psychological Well-Being on Transmission of Domestic Violence

Abstract

This study aims to investigate the psychological well-being as a potential moderator of the effects of childhood exposure to violence on the future risk of transmission of violence into romantic relationships. A sample of 3,193 participants from the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent Health data was used to examine psychological well-being whether the link between exposure to violence in childhood and experiencing intimate partner violence in adulthood was disrupted. Findings showed a significant relationship between childhood exposure to violence and later perpetration and victimization of intimate partner violence. Further, adolescents’ higher sense of well-being was negatively linked with the violent acts toward an intimate partner and the lower risk of victimization of intimate violence in adult relationships. While the proposed moderator did not interact with childhood exposure to violence to lessen the future risk of being violent or experiencing violence in the intimate relationship, well-being was linked with lower levels of violence in romantic relationships in adulthood. Conclusions suggest that clinicians should focus on how to improve the psychological well-being of adolescences to help prevent future IPV.